Dennis C. Turner

This book has already gone through one or two newer editions, and it shows. The 2nd edition (2000) seems out of date. Also, it concentrates on behavior much more than physiology--I interpreted the biology of the cat's behavior to mean physiology, not ethology.

The last chapter is "we don't know why they do that", which I guess is necessary. Today, for example, has been a great day for the in-out, in-out game.

I'm going to try to look for a newer edition. Good thing this is a library book.… (mais)

It is a little tough reviewing a book that I admit is a bit over my head, but I found this very interesting and informative, even if I couldn't follow the statistics. This is the second edition of this book, and consists of scholarly articles on the behavior of cats in laboratories, as feral animals and as pets. One thing that was fascinating is the great flexibility that they display. In the feral state, they sometimes live as solitary hunters and sometimes in matrilineal kinship groups, depending on what is most successful given the food supply. Their territories are also adjusted accordingly. Males pursue different reproductive strategies, based on the female living patterns. Female reproductive strategies still require more study. Authors also discussed the need to develop ways of matching the personalities of cats to the personality of prospective adopters. A eye-opening account of what is known, and how much is not known, about a seemingly very familiar species.… (mais)